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7029_Kennington_Junction_17.4.1976. UK heritage steam in the 1960s and 1970s. Hauling the Shakespeare Don railtour from Stratford upon Avon to Didcot, GWR 4-6-0 No.7029 Clun Castle, approaches Kennington Junction, south of Oxford, on a gloriously sunny 17th April 1976. Kennington Junction was where a line branched off, running via Thame to Prince Risborough, opened throughout in 1864. Passenger service ended in January 1963 but the Kennington Junction - Thame section remained in use for freight until 1991. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_01_Headboard The Mayflower was a sailing ship which departed Plymouth, England, in 1620, carrying to North America (later the USA), a breakaway religious sect which became known as The Pilgrim Fathers. In commemoration, the train name Mayflower was introduced by British Railways, Western Region in June 1957, for an express service from London, Paddington, to Plymouth and return. With a few breaks in operation the train continues to run today (being named in the timetable), operated by Hitachi-built, Classes 800 and 802, bi-mode electric/diesel multiple units. On 27th September 2024, Vintage Trains ran a special train from Birmingham, via Bristol, to Plymouth and return. From Bristol to Plymouth and back, the train was hauled by double-headed GWR Castle Class 4-6-0s No.7029 Clun Castle and No.5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. The ship Mayflower is depicted on the special headboard introduced in 1957, here carried on the day, by No.7029 Clun Castle. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_02_Bristol_Temple_Meads_Platform_15 There was an operating confusion at Bristol Temple Meads station as to which platform the train would arrive at; first it was Platform 6, then Platform 12 and finally, Platform 15! Nos.7029 and 5043 arrive at Platform 15, from where the confusion resulted in a 25-minute late departure. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_03_Plymouth_arrival Castle 4-6-0s No.7029 and 5043 are seen at Plymouth, having converted the Mayflower's 25-minute late departure to an eight-minute early arrival! The twelve coach, 450-ton train, in the GWR's chocolate and cream livery, had every seat filled, with the 500 passengers being treated to loud and rousing assaults upon the inclines of South Devon: Wellington Bank (4 miles, maximum grade 1 in 80); Dainton Bank (3 miles, maximum grade 1 in 36); Rattery Bank (8 miles, maximum grade 1 in 46). Steam on Britain's main lines is limited to a maximum of 75 miles per hour (mph) and the two Castles were able to maintain that speed for mile upon mile, with a little excess - on two occasions briefly reaching 80 mph. All along the 127-mile route, many hundreds of people were at stations and numerous other vantage points to see the train pass. Such is the film star quality in Britain, of the steam locomotive! roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_05_Clun_Castle_close_up A portrait of No.7029 Clun Castle. The locomotive was named for an 11th century Norman fortress at Clun (actually pronounced clean), on the Welsh border in Shropshire; the ruins are today Listed as Grade One, by English Heritage. No.7029 was built by British Railways at Swindon, in May 1950, to be fitted with a 4-row superheater and double-chimney in October 1959. Following withdrawal in 1965, No.7029 became the subject of preservation by Birmingham Railway Museum, after a May 1964, Plymouth to Bristol run in a record time, for a steam locomotive, of 133 minutes for the difficult 127 mile route. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_06_Clun_Castle_cabside_plates A GWR tradition was to display a stainless steel plate on the cabside of steam passenger locomotives, bearing the driver's name. The tradition was continued for the Mayflower with No.7029 bearing the plate of driver A.C.TAYLOR, of Rugby depot. The picture also shows the GWR's passenger locomotive paint scheme of Brunswick Green with lining-out in Black and Orange. The painted red disc with letter D inside indicates the engine's route availability for weight and power rating. The disc shows the engine has an axle loading of up to 20 tons, while the D tells it has a power-output of 25001 - 33000 lbs (111.2 to 146.8 kN) tractive effort (actually 31625 lbs). roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_07_7029_&_5043_move_support_coach After arrival at Plymouth, both Castles manoeuvred to attach at each end of the crew's support coach. They then left the station for the traction depot at Laira, where they would be turned on a triangle and return to Plymouth station. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_08_Plymouth_7029_coaling Having turned at Laira, Nos.7029 and 5043 were placed in a siding at Plymouth station where they could be coaled from a road vehicle equipped with a grab. The coal came from Kazakhstan and although GWR locomotives were designed to burn soft, Welsh coal, the harder fuel seen here is deemed better when the locomotives are not employed for long periods of hard steaming, together with frequent stops to take water, or allow public service trains to overtake. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_10_Plymouth_7029_valve_gear Close up of a Castle Class valve gear. The four-cylinder locomotive employs Walschaerts valve gear between the frames, controlling the two inside valves and cylinders, with rocking arms operating the valves of the outside cylinders. The rocking arms are observed passing through a port in the frame, at top, with another port below through which can be seen the slide bars of an inside cylinder. Such a layout, while perhaps aesthetically pleasing, does not make it easy for the locomotive crew to access the inside cylinders and valve gear for inspection and lubrication purposes. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_12_Plymouth_7029_cab_wash_down Having inspected and oiled Clun Castle's valve gear and cylinders, the fireman washes down the footplate using a slacking pipe. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_13_Plymouth_7029_tender A contrast in tenders (1). Clun Castle is attached to a tender designed by C.B.Collett, locomotive engineer of the GWR from 1922 to 1941. Tender No.2621 is officially, a late Collett design, as there was an earlier model. The vehicle carries 7 tons of coal and 4000 Imperial gallons of water and on its sides wears the post-1956 British Railways emblem of a lion within a crown, holding a wheel. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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The_Mayflower_16_7029_+_5043_arrival_Bristol_Temple_Meads The return from Plymouth to Bristol was equally as exciting and noisy, as the South Devon inclines had to be breasted in the easterly direction, starting with the almost immediate, two and a half miles at a constant 1 in 42, of Hemerdon Bank. Once over those obstacles came continuous high speed running at 75 mph - and slightly more! - to allow an on-time arrival in Bristol. Their work over, Nos.7029 and 5043 reflect the lights of Bristol's Temple Meads station, before they come off the train, to be replaced by a pair of diesels for the last leg of the Mayflower's journey, back to Birmingham. Nowadays, the station has most sections subject to a Grade One Listing, so it must be preserved in the best possible condition. Accordingly, much work is underway for a large scale refurbishment of the 1875 arched roof. roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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UK The sun breaks through storm clouds to light ex-GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle and 5051 Earl Bathurst near Bridgwater, September 1985 Photo and scan Roger Griffiths jrcs@blueyonder.co.uk

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UK - Wolvercot Junction: ex-GWR 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle strongly pulls away from a speed restriction across the junction on the north edge of Oxford. The locomotive was hauling its special train from Birmingham to Didcot. 17 April 1976. Photo and scan Roger Griffiths jrcs@blueyonder.co.uk